England or Bust (5 page)

“I don’t deserve you Rob and you deserve more than me…”

Her voice broke once again and she gasped at the pain in her chest. How could she have done this to herself? She dropped back down into her chair, putting a hand to her forehead.

Rob moved to the chair next to her and reached for her hand again, squeezing hard. “You don’t understand how rare this is Michelle. I do. Please, just stay.”

Grief assailed Michelle and it was so much worse than she had expected. The pain was laced with so much guilt and disappointment.

“I’m too broken Rob. I know you want to fix me, that’s what you do, but you can’t and I can’t do this… please… just go.”

She had to do this, for him. He deserved so much more than she had to give. She was just an empty shell now, unable to think good of anyone else. Rob gripped her hand tighter.

Michelle forced herself to lift her head and look straight at his beautiful face, memorising every line for the lonely years to come.

“Rob, go. Go to America, have an amazing time. I am so sorry.”

A muscle in Rob’s jaw ticked angrily. His eyes scanned her face and he didn’t move.

Her resolve was wavering, maybe she could make it up to him? If she tried really, really hard she may be able to earn back his trust. Her brief hopes shattered to pieces as he nodded his head.

“Fine.”

Rob stood up so quickly he reminded Michelle of a jack in the box. He let go of her hand and the loss of that warmth made her whimper.

“I’ll see you soon.”

Michelle opened her mouth to negate his words, soon? How would he see her soon? But she didn’t speak, he was already turning around and walking away from her. His tight, gorgeous butt the last thing she saw before he disappeared from view.

She sat there, stunned. For how long she could not have said. She couldn’t move, she felt cold, almost paralysed. She had really, really, screwed that up. It was all her fault. He’d wanted her and she had pushed him away. Why hadn’t she spoken? Begged him to give her another chance? A voice inside her head told her she didn’t deserve it, but he had looked so hurt. She wanted to make it up to him, needed to comfort him on a deep, cellular level.

But he was gone.

The airport’s loud speaker broke through her daze.

“British Airways direct flight to London, boarding now.”

That was her flight. The now full departure lounge surged forward to make two queues. Michelle grabbed her bag with shaking hands and shuffled over to the line.

She stood behind a young couple draped all over each other and bit the inside of her cheek to stop from bursting into tears again. What had she done?

She was completely divided. Part of her wanted to turn and run after Rob, beg him to take her back, give her another chance. But her plane ticket was burning in her hand, reminding her of all the plans she had made. It had been her decision to move overseas and start a new life. It was meant to be an escape, a reward for all the things she had endured over the past year, but now it felt like a punishment. A fitting punishment for her. A woman who couldn’t trust a man who so obviously deserved it.

She handed the ticket over to the airline steward and forced her legs forward. Rob had told her that he wanted more time with her so that he could prove he was a good guy. Prove it? She already knew it. And yet she was moving down a dark hallway onto a plane that was going to take her half way across the world.

She really was crazy.

Michelle moved onto the plane, pushed her bag into the overhead cabin and settled herself into her cattle-class seat.

What was she doing?
Panic began to flutter within her belly.
She had just left the most amazing guy she had ever met. He had begged her to stay and what had she done? Ran away, like the coward she was.
Oh my God, I’m never going to see him again.

Pain lanced through her chest and with it every self-recriminating thought she had.
Worthless, stupid, selfish.

“Excuse me Madame, but would you come with me?” The airline hostess indicated to Michelle and she blinked rapidly. What was going on now?

“Is there something wrong?”

The woman slid closer and shook her head. “No, but we’re upgrading you as part of our Christmas bonuses. Can you grab your bags?”

Dazed, Michelle moved like a robot.
Impossible.
She had been given a free hotel room in a closed airport, spent an amazing night with Rob and now a Christmas upgrade on a sold out plane? Well, that was it. Three. She was done for the rest of her life. All her good luck had come at once.

As she walked behind the air hostess, she couldn’t help but smile. She would never regret last night. Even if Rob now hated her and she knew that she had been stupid and foolish, last night had been the best night of her life.

She stepped up to the huge chair that the air hostess indicated and put her hand out to steady her. She felt calm, settled all of a sudden. Things were going to be all right.

“You better know a lot about English tourist attractions, because I have absolutely no idea what we are going to do when we get to London.”

Michelle turned her head at the familiar voice. Rob’s beautiful blue eyes stared at her and his gorgeous mouth held a soft smile for her. Michelle bit her lip to stop the tears from over flowing. She choked out the words, “What are you doing here?”

Rob gestured for her to sit down.

Michelle looked up and saw the smile from the air hostess and suddenly realised she hadn’t been upgraded for Christmas. Silly man. “Did you get the hostess to upgrade me?”

Unable to hold herself up any longer, Michelle dropped down into the huge arm chair. She turned her whole body so that she could look at him and he leaned over and cupped her face. So tender, so loving, that tears welled up once again in her eyes and this time there was no halting them as they fell.

“I’m here because I paid for a ticket.” Rob smiled his beautiful, genuine, soft smile and used the pad of his thumb to wipe the hot tears away that rolled down her cheeks. “I decided that a holiday in England was far better than one in the U.S.”

He shrugged his shoulders in an obvious attempt not to point out what a huge step this was. Because it really was. He was changing all of his plans to come with her, and he’d made sure they would be travelling in comfort.

“I won’t be able to pay you back Rob.”

He made an impatient noise in his throat and she smiled insanely. What a gorgeous sound. “I don’t care about money Michelle. I have a lot of it and I want an amazing holiday with you. Don’t even think about it. It’s nothing.”

Some of Michelle’s old confidence began to filter through to her battered pride and she took a deep breath. He had bought them two business class tickets and he had changed all of his plans to be with her. It was time to step up and give him something back.

“So, changing your plans from the U.S. to Europe has a little bit to do with me then?”

Rob laughed and lent forward again, kissing her until they were both breathless. No one kissed like him, her lips tingled with pleasure.

“It has everything to do with you. But there’s no pressure, Michelle. Whether we last two days in each other’s company or I drag you back to Australia four weeks from now. I just want to spend some time with you. Maybe spend Christmas together in Paris drinking red wine, and see what happens.”

Michelle’s eyes weren’t in sync with her happy heart, or perhaps they were, as two more tears slipped down her cheeks. This man was absolutely incredible. How had she got so lucky?

“You are so brave. I could never be like you.”

Rob squeezed her hand and buckled his seat belt. The captain’s voice came over the speaker and the plane began to move slowly back on to the run way.

This is really happening, he’s coming with me!

“Michelle, I’m too old to play games, and old enough to know what I want. And what I want is you.”

More tears fell but this time Michelle knew they were tears of happiness as she grabbed hold of Rob’s hand and together they flew to what could be a very bright future.

 
Epilogue

4 weeks later: New Year’s Eve.

Michelle relaxed in their small hotel room in Paris overlooking the square. She had had the most amazing holiday, ever.

Rob had convinced her not to look for an apartment or a job straight away, and instead had whisked her all over Europe.

She looked down at the photos she had just picked up from the local store. Flipping through them, she relived every moment of the love and adventure Rob had shared with her.

They had spent a few days in Croatia, which had been amazing. The sights, the people. She had bought an amazing gold necklace with a fob and heart that nestled between her collar bones. Or more specifically, Rob had bought it for her. Then they had taken a small plane and spent a week eating in Greece. The food had been amazing, the hospitality of the people unsurpassed. It had been cold, but they had stayed warm with Ouzo, beautiful sweets and made love by the fireplace.

Her favourite had been the few days they spent licking chocolate off one another in Switzerland. Chocolate was cheaper than fruit and vegetables, not that it mattered with Rob paying for everything. But she had loved being able to buy some decadent chocolate, melting it back at their apartment, then spending the rest of the night licking it off every part of Rob’s body. There were no taboo areas any more. Rob had changed the way she saw love making and her own body. She gave him everything she had because he always gave her everything she needed.

A week ago they had arrived in Paris for Christmas. They hadn’t left.

Christmas day had been the most amazing day of her life. Rob had taken her to a very expensive restaurant and wined and dined her. They had talked about music, family, and their travels. Then he had walked her home through the streets of Paris and told her that he loved her.

She had cried the whole way home and to the most intense orgasm of her life.

Michelle shivered at the memory and picked up a pen.

“What are we doing beautiful?”

Lifting her head from the post card she was contemplating writing, Michelle looked at her lover.

“Do you mean today? Or next week?”

She raised her eyebrows and looked directly at him. It was four weeks to the day since he had got on that plane and made her the happiest woman alive. Now he would need an answer to whether she was staying in England as planned, or would be heading home with him.

It was an easy decision. Every moment since he joined on the plane, he had proven just how perfect he was - even when he’d been fighting with a little Italian man about the price of wine!

“I mean next week, Michelle.”

He looked serious, guarded, worried. She laughed and smiled up at him. How could he even consider the possibility of her not going home with him?

“I’m coming back with you of course.”

Rob dropped to his knees in front of her and Michelle reached out to cup his beloved face.

He kissed her palm. “You’re sure? I could stay, apply for a transfer.”

Michelle laughed and kissed him. He really was the most generous man she had ever met.

“No, you already took the leap my love. It’s my turn. You have proven to me just how perfect we are together and I never want to be apart from you again. If you still want me, I want to come home with you. I’m sure I can get my old job back.”

Everything she said was true. They had laughed and cried, fought and loved. In a month they had experienced every high and low a relationship could have. It was still the happiest month of her life.

“You’ll move in with me when we get back?”

Michelle laughed and nodded. They had lived together for this month. Why change that now?

“If you want me to.”

Rob bent his head and kissed her hands.

“I love you, I want you to be a part of my life in every way.”

Michelle looked into the blue eyes she now knew better than any colour on Earth and nodded. How could she not? She had been given a man who loved her and whom she loved back. How could she not commit to him in every way?

“You will?” Rob asked, his fear almost palpable in the way his eyes darted back and forth and the swallow in his throat.

Michelle pushed her fear back down and decided to leap off that invisible cliff into the forever.

“Yes Rob, of course. How could I not?”

Rob let out a whoop and pulled her onto the ground with him. He kissed her lips and rolled her beneath him. Showing her with words and touches that the love they had found in the airport that first night would continue into a bright future.

 
Georgiana Louis

Georgiana Louis is a chiropractor, wife and mother in the real world. However, her passion for writing could not be denied. She fell in love with romance novels at the tender age of eleven. Thousands of books have been read, absorbed and enjoyed since then. More recently, the wonderful world of Regency romance. Dashing heroes and beautiful heroines, in an era just beginning to accept love matches. Please join her in the fictional world, where everything ends as it should, happily ever after.

You can read more about Georgiana at the following:

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Read more about Georgiana at the Steam eReads blog:

http://steamereads.com.au/2013/04/meet-author-georgiana-louis/